Motor actuated furnace control



Oct. 11, 1932. A. PENN MOTOR ACTUATED FURNACE CONTROL Filed June 17, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 e722 emor Oct. 11, 1932. A. PENN 1,881,955

MOTOR ACTUATED FURNACE CONTROL Filed Jun 17, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SUPPLY Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE Y ALBERT PENN, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO PENN ELECTRIC SWITCH 'CO-,, 01

lDES-IMIOINES, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA MOTOR ACTUATED FURNACE CONTROL Application meg .Tune 17, 1929. Serial 1.371,537.

The object of my invention is to provide a motor actuated furnace control of simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction.

More particularly it is my object to procauses opening of first one and then the other.

Still another object is to provide a motor actuated furnace control having a crank arm operatively connected with the draft and I check doors of a furnace whereby the crank when inone position willopen the draft door and when in another position will open the check door, means of adjustment being pro-' vided to .regulate the amount of opening of each door as desired.

Still another object is to provide thermostatic means within the roomheated by the furnace for controlling the draft doors depending upon the temperature of th room.

Still a further object is-to provide in connection with my control mechanism, means for insuring that when the thermostat is in non-controlling or off position the furnace control will automatically continue to be actuated to-a predetermined point. i Still a further object is to provide a clutch mechanism actuated as the result of a thermostatic element for causing the furnace control to be actuated from erated motor. I

Another ob ect is to provide a night control a continuously optrol during the night, such night control being associated with the furnace Lcontrol in such a; way that the furnace control will again become operative, at a predetermined hour in the morning.

Another object is to provide a modified form of construction in which the room thermostat controlsthe motor for causing it to operate only when the thermostat is in controlling position and calling for augmentation of the furnace fire.

With these andother objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the ob 'ects con-' templated are attained, as hereina er more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: V

Figure 1 is a side elvation of a furnace showing my improved type of motor actuated control installed therewith.

Figure 2 is an enlarged'view of the opposite end ofthe furnace controlshowing the coyer thereof removed.

Figure 3 is an electrical diagrammatical view of the wiring for the furnace control.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 2. h 1

Figure 5 is an end elevation of aportion of the device as viewed in the direction of the arrow 5 adjacent Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a semi-diagrammatic view of a modified form ofcontrol in which a. weight is used associated with the draft d'oors oftlie furnace; and

Figure 7 is an electrical diagrammatic view of a modified form'of construction.

and check On the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally a furnace. The draft door of the,

furnace is indicated at 12. The check door vthereof is indicated at 14. A basement ceilfor preventing operation of the furnace coning is indicated at 16, and a chimney at 18.

My improved type of motor actuated furwith a removable cover 22. -Within the easof the clock 24, any suitable .type of electric motor may be provided. Projecting from the clock or motor 24 is a shaft 26-having thereon a pinion 28.-

Journaled in bearings 30 extending inwardly fromone side of the casing 20 is a shaft 32 to which is secured a gear 34. Pivoted on'the shaft 32 is a pair of arms 36 carrying a shaft 38. Rotatably mounted on the shaft 38 is a pinion 40 mes ing with the gear 34 a Within the casing20 is provided a solenoid 42 having therein a plunger 44. The plunger 44 has an extension 46 pivotally. connected with a pin 48 mounted in the upper ends of From the description of the parts just described it will be obvious that energization of the solenoid 42 will draw the plunger 44 inwardly, thereby causing the pinion 40 to mesh with the pinion 28 asv shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. Rotation of the pinion 28 will thus be transmitted to the gear 34 and then to the shaft-32.

On the outside of the cover 22, a crank arm 54 is connected with the shaft 32 as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings. The crank arm 54 is provided with a slot 56 through which a pivot bolt 58 extends. A sleeve 60 and a washer 62 are mounted on the bolt 5-8 and securely clamped thereon against the'crank arm 54 by a wing nut'64. Journaled on the sleeve 60 between the washer 62 and the crank arm '54 is a connecting fitting 66. A draft chain 68 and a check chain 70 are connected with the opposite ends of the fitting 66 and extend to the draft door 12 and the check door 14 respectively. Brackets 72 carrying pulleys 74 may be provided for transmitting the movement of the chains 68 and 70 to the doors 12 and 14. Secured to the shaft 32 within thecasing 20 is a switchactuating arm 76. The arm 76 is adapted to coact with a switch blade 78 at one position of the rotation of the shaft 32 as shown in Figure 2, for the purpose of sepa; rating a contact 80 thereon from a stationary contact 82. The stationary contact 82 is supported on a post 84 secured to the casing 20 I i and the switch blade 78 is secured to a post 86.

The posts 84 and 86 are preferably of insulating material:

In connection with my motor actuated furnace control I have provided a night control which is operative to render the furnace control inoperative during the night after banking the fire. Such night control may consist of a switch structure comprising a stationary switch arm 100 and a movable switch arm 102 (see Figure 2). A spring actuated catch 104 is adapted to coact with the .movable switch arm 102 to keep the switch arms separated during the night.

A push button 106 of insulation is provided for causing the latch 104 to coact with the switch arm 102. The button 106 is adapted to be pushed inwardly either just before or just after the fire in the furnace 10 is banked for the night. p It will be noted that one end of the latch 104 extends through a slot 108 in the casing of the motor 24. Within the casing of the motor a cam arm 110 is mounted and is adjustably secured to a disk 112 by means of a thumb screw 114. The disk 112 is so geared to the motor mechanism of the clock that itrotates once every 24 hours, and the cam arm 110 is adjustable for setting it at the desired hour in the morning for the furnace control to begin operating.

Practical operation Referring to Figure 3 I have shown a wirmg diagram for my improved furnace. control. A room thermostat is indicated at A and includes an expansible member 88 acting upona switch arm 90 for separating it from a switch contact 92 upon expansion of the member 88 to a predetermined position. -Assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1 and the room in which the thermostat A is connected becomes cold, the

member 88 will contract for allowing the arm 90 to engage the contact 92 as shown in Figure 3, whereupon an electric circuit will be established from a supply wire 94 through a wire 96 to the solenoid 42, and back to a supply wire 98. Assuming that the crank arm 54 is originally in the position shown in Figure 1, energization of the solenoid 42 will cause the rotation of the shaft 32 for pulling the chain 68 and thereby opening the draft door 12 and closing the check door 14 during one half of a revolution of the crank arm 36. During the other half of such revolution, the door 12 will be closed and thedoor 14 opened, and as the revolutions continue, this intermittent opening and closing of the doors will continue also.

In the operation of the night control shown in Figure 2, the push button 106 is manipulated when the fire is banked at night and separates the contact 102 from the contact thereby breaking the circuit-to the clutch solenoid 42 and thermostat A as shown in Figure 3.

Then in the morning (at six oc'lock as shown in Figure 2) the cam arm 110 will engage the latch 104 for releasing the switch arm 102 whereupon the circuit will be reestablished for opening the furnace door 12 and closing the door 14 due to the fact that the thermostat A will be in closed position. Thereafter the furnace control will be actuated automatically for raising and maintaining the .temperature of the room as desired. This causes the fire in the furnace to be augmented for sending a shot of heat up to the room, after which the furnace is shut OR for allowing the heat in the furnace j acket to continue its upward rise to the room. This nitermittent operation prevents overheating of'the room caused by opening the draft 12 and leaving it open until the room the contact 92, the solenoid 42 will continue to be energized by the switch contacts 80 and 82. This prevents stopping of the shaft 32 until the arm 76 engages the switch arm 78 for separating the contacts. 80 and 82, whereby the crank arm 54 .Will stop in the desired position for leaving the draft door 12 closed and the check door 14 open.

In Figure6 I have illustrated a construction" in which the switch contacts 80 and 82 may be dispensed with; This construction includes a Weight 100 which acts to rotate the crank arm 54 to the position shown whereafter the clutch plunger 44 is released by de-energization of the solenoid 4 2. It will be obvious that no matter what position the arm 56 may stop in, the weight 100 will automatically cause closing of the draft door 12 andopening of the check door 14.

In Figure 7 I have illustrated a modifiedform ofconstruction'in which the thermostat A controls the motor, 24 directly, so that. the motor is operated only when the thermostat is in controlling position. In connec-' ,tion with this type of installation the auto- 'matic stop switch ,7 8 would be provided for insuring the stopping of the motor at certain proper positions for closing the draft 12 and opening the check 14. c

r The shaft 32 may be rotated at a predetermined speed, one revolution per five minutes, for example, and the member 66 may be adjusted relative to the crank arm 54 whereby the doors 12 and 14 would be-opencd one-fifth of a revolution each five minutes, or may be opened for a longer period by adjusting the bolt 58 farther from the shaft 32. This adjustment can be made to cause proper operation of the furnace depending on changes in'weather conditions and in fuel.

Somechanges may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it changes is my intentionto cover by my claims, any

modified form of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

; I claim as my invention:

1. In a motor actuated furnace control, a motor, means for connecting said motor with a furnace controlling device and for cyclically operating said device by said mo-' tor through different positions of the device,

means for rendering said furnace controlling device inoperative a predetermined length of time, said meansbeing cooperatively associated with the motor and actuated there by to render the furnace control again operative at a predetermined time. a 2. In a motor actuated furnace control, a motor, means for connecting said motor with a furnace controlling device and for cyclically operating said device by said moder said furnace controlling tor through dilferent positions of the device, said means being actuated by a room thermostat, means to insure the stopping of the device in a predetermined position after the thermostat reaches a predetermined point in said furnace controlling device inoperative a predetermined length of time, said means being cooperatively associated with the motor and actuated thereby to render the furnace control again operative at a predetermined time. l I

3. In a motor actuated furnace control, a motor, means for supplying current thereto, furnace controlling mechanism and temperature responsive means to control the operation thereof, said furnace controlling mechanism being operatively connected with' said motor and repeatedly operated through a cycle of positions while said temperature responsive means is in one of its positions.

4. Ina motor actuated furnace control, a -motor, means for supplying current thereto, furnace controlling mechanism operatively connected therewith and cyclically operated through different positions thereby and a room thermostat responsive to the tempera ture in a room heated by a furnace controlled by said furnace controlling mechanism and operable for rendering said furnace controlling mechanism operable when the temperature of said room'is low and inoperative when said temperature is high.

5. In a motor actuated furnace control, a motor, means for supplying current thereto, furnace controlling mechanism operatively connected therewith and cyclically operated through different positions thereby and a room thermostat responsive to the tempera ture in a room heated by a furnace controlled by said furnace controlling mechanism and operable for rendering said furnace controlling mechanism operable when the temperature of said. room is-low and inoperative when said temperature is high and means to insure stopping of said furnace controlling mechanism in a predetermined position after said room thermostat has become effective to renmechanism inoperative. 1

6. Ina motoractuated'furnace control, an electrically operated motor, furnace controlling mechanism operatively connected therewith and cyclically operated through different positions thereby, a control circuit for rendering said furnace controlling mech- .its range of operation, means for rendering a'nism operative and inoperative and thermostatic means for energizing and de-ener'giz- 1ng said control circuit. 1

7. In a motor actuated furnace crank with a controlling device of a furnace, said first mentioned operative connection; comprising mechanism operatively engage-i able with the shaft of said motor, thermostatic means for causing such engagement of said mechanism and" disen agement thereof and weight means for insuring that said con- 5. trol device will stop in a; predetermined position after such disengagement. v

,8. In a motor actuated furnace control, a 'circuit, a motor connected thereacross, a cranli operatively connected with said motor, means I for operatively connecting said crank with a controlling device of a furnace, said first mentioned operative connection comprising mechanism operatively engageable with the shaft of said motor, thermostatic switch means for causing such engagement of said mechanism and disengagement thereof and circuit breaking means for insuring that said control device will stop in a predetermined position after such disengagement.

20, 9. In a motor actuated furnace control,

circuit, a motor connected thereacross, a crank operatively connected therewith, means for operatively connecting said crank with a controlling device of a furnace, said first 26 mentioned operative connection comprising mechanism operatively'engageable with the shaft of said motor, thermostatic switch means for causing such engagement of saidmechanism and disengagement thereof and- 30 means for insuring that said control device will stop in a predetermined position after such disengagement, said means comprising a switch actuated by said motor and with said crank. t I

10. In a motor actuated furnace control, a

continuously operating motor, means for connecting said motor with a furnace controlling device and for cyclically operating sai'd' device by said motor through different positions 40 of the device, means for rendering said furnace controlling device inoperative a predetermined length of time and means operated by the motor to restore the furnace controlling device to o erative position.

Des Moines, I wa, May 14, 1929.

' Y ALBERT PENN. 

